Internal combustion engines of the above-mentioned type are known from the German patent specification No. 195 21 528, for example, and similar rotating-piston-type internal combustion engines are disclosed in the following German patent-office publications: unexamined laid-open patent application No. 1 810 346, unexamined laid-open patent application No. 38 25 365, unexamined laid-open patent application No. 195 23 736, and patent specification No. 197 34 783. The common feature of the well-known rotating-piston engines is that they require a down-stream support of the explosion pressure, that is, control elements which are pushed into the annular cylinder chamber and are pulled out again from the cylinder chamber for the pass-by of the piston. The relevant mechanical system makes the engine complex, troublesome and susceptible to wear and results in an additional loss of efficiency and a high running noise level.